#25 MSSU to Open Season Friday

Joplin, Mo. – The nationally-ranked Missouri Southern men's basketball program will open the 2018-19 season this weekend as the Lions travel to Mankato, Minnesota to participate in the MIAA/NSIC Challenge on Friday and Saturday.

The Lions open the season ranked 25th in the Basketball Coaches Poll and 24th in the Division II SID's poll. Southern will play against No. 18/16 St. Cloud State on Friday at 3 pm and will take on Minnesota State on Saturday at 3 pm.

Both games will have live stats and video available via the links in the story links above.

Southern is 3-3 in the tournament's short three-year history against the Huskies and Mavericks. The Lions are 2-1 against SCSU in the series history with a pair of wins in the first two games, but dropping last year's contest. Southern is 1-2 all-time against Minnesota State with a double-overtime win two years ago, however dropping an overtime contest last season. The Lions lost the first matchup with the Mavericks in 2015 in Joplin.

This year, a new MIAA opponent joins the fray as Lindenwood steps in for Pittsburg State.

The Lions were picked to win the MIAA in the preseason coaches poll, while SCSU and MSU were both picked in a tie atop the NSIC Poll.

Clark has 199 career three pointers in his career and has set the MSSU single-season three-point record in each of his first two campaigns. He needs just 66 three pointers with two seasons remaining to tie the all-time record.

The Lions, as a team, broke the single-season three-point record last season with 283 and also broke the single-season record for three-point attempts with 715 and three's per game with 9.4.

The Lions will look at a possible starting lineup with two new starters in it. Probable starters for this weekend look to be Walker, Lambert and Clark, with newcomers Reggie Tharp and Cam Martin. Tharp is a junior college transfer from Paris Junior College, while Martin transfers from Division I Jacksonville State.

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